BM # 29 Week 3 Day 1
This is the 3rd week of this BM and for this week I shall be making Indian Spice Powders.
Normally except for garam masala we do not make any major masalas.Sambar powder is one spice mix that I use to make, but that department has been taken over by hubby, he makes it better than me plus every time it has to be fresh.
Garam masala is an Indian spice powder which is made in many different ways.The spices used for these vary with personal taste .The proportions vary and these variations make the flavor of this spice very different.
The Garam Masala that we use in our house is rather mild. Since our everyday food is with minimum spices the addition of garam masala is not there in all vegetables or curries.While making formal dinners or the special dishes I use freshly ground spice powder as the taste and aroma of the freshly ground masala is wonderful and it enhances the flavor of the dish.For every day dishes the masala is ground and stored, though I make this in very small batches.
The spices that I use for Garam Masala are..
7-8 tbsp cumin seed
10 -15 bay leaves
1 tbsp shahi jeera
8-10 cloves
1 small stick cinnamon
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp Green Cardamon
6-8 black Cardamon
Lightly roast all ingredients and grind it to a fine powder.
Alternately grind it to a coarse powder.
Store in a jar.
While making fresh garam masala I normally use mortar and minus the bay leaves, as these are difficult to powder. This powder is rather coarse but while enjoying the dish one can actually make out the flavors of different spices.